International Journal of Agricultural Research, Innovation and Technology

1-8

Authors: MAA Faroque, MA Kashem, SE Bilkis

The sustainability of conventional agriculture in Bangladesh is under threat from the continuous degradation of land and water resources, and from declining yields due to indiscriminate use of agro-chemicals. Government is pursuing efforts to promote sustainable agriculture with emphasis on better use of on-farm resources and the reduction of external inputs. This paper presents four dimensions of agricultural sustainability as productivity, environmental stability, economical profitability, and social and economic equity. Six characters were selected to evaluate sustainability. Significant differences were found between the two systems (conventional and sustainable agriculture) in crop diversification, soil fertility management, pests and diseases management, use of agro-chemicals and environmental issues. However, no significant variations were found in other indicators such as land-use pattern, crop yield and stability, risk and uncertainties, and food security. Although crop yield and financial return were found to be slightly higher in the conventional system, the economic return and value addition per unit of land did not show any difference. It can be suggested that sustainable agriculture has a tendency towards becoming environmental, economically and socially more sound than conventional agriculture, as it requires considerably less agro-chemicals, adds more organic matter to the soil, provides balanced food, and requires higher local inputs without markedly compromising output and financial benefits. Broad-policy measures, including the creation of mass awareness of adverse health effects of agrochemical-based products, are outlined for the promotion of sustainable agriculture.

16-23

Authors: MSA Mamun, M Ahmed

Tea is a popular beverage made from the leaves of evergreen shrub or tree Camellia sinensis, under the family Theaceae. Tea plant is subjected to the attack of insects, mites, nematodes and some plant pathogenic diseases. Tea production is greatly hindered due to these maladies. About 10-15% crop loss occurred by these pests per annum. In severe cases, it would be 100%. To combat these problems different groups of pesticides have been used in the tea fields since 1960. As tea is a consumable commodity, the effect of residue of pesticides in made tea is harmful to human health. In this context, biopesticides are being considered as environmentally safe, selective, biodegradable, economical and renewable alternatives for use in IPM programmes. Biopesticides are natural plant products and may be grown by the planters with minimum cost and extracted by indigenous methods. Biopesticides are secondary metabolites, which include alkaloids, terpenoids, phenolics, and minor secondary chemicals. It is estimated that as many as 2121 plant species have been reported to posses’ pest control properties. Botanicals like neem, ghora-neem, mahogoni, karanja, adathoda, sweet flag, tobacco, derris, annona, smart weed, bar weed, datura, calotropis, bidens, lantana, chrysanthemum, artemisia, marigold, clerodendrum, wild sunflower and many others may be grown by planters with minimum expense and extracted by indigenous methods. These botanical materials can be used as an alternative to chemical pesticides. These botanical extracts will help in controlling major pests of tea such as Helopeltis, red spider mite, aphids, thrips, jassid, flushworm, termites, nematodes etc. The present note reviews the information of most widely available indigenous plants that may be used for the control of insect pests of tea as a component of IPM.

29-36

Authors: AC Halder

Natural enemies play an important role to control the pest population of a crop field by killing the pest directly or indirectly by parasitism. By knowing the dispersal ability of natural enemies could be effective biocontrol tool for controlling the harmful pest. Vegetated field margins have been suggested as a shelter of natural enemies. Natural enemies like ground beetle, rove beetle, parasitoid and spider dispersal ability from the field margin to inside the oilseed rape field was analyzed by doing this study. All insects were collected from the oilseed rape fields of Southern Sweden. This study showed that parasitoid abundance was higher near the field margin compare to the deep field. Distribution of ground beetle, rove beetle and spider was almost the same all over the field. Parasitoids could be effective to control the oilseed rape pest near the field margin as a biocontrol aspect whereas rove beetle, ground beetle and spider could be a used biocontrol tools for all over the field.

44-54

Authors: Akbar Hossain, MAZ Sarker, MA Hakim, MV Lozovskaya, VP Zvolinsky

Eight modern wheat varieties (viz., Sourav, Gourab, Shatabdi, Sufi, Bijoy, Prodip, BARI Gom-25 and BARI Gom-26) were evaluated to find out the suitable variety for optimum and late sown condition, to find out heat tolerant and heat sensitive variety and to find out the optimum sowing time for a specific variety. The experiment was conducted in the research farm of Wheat Research Center (25°38´ N, 88°41´ E and 38.20 m above sea level.), Bangladesh, under eight sowing times (viz., 8 Nov., 15 Nov., 22 Nov., 29 Nov., 6 Dec., 13 Dec., 20 Dec. and 27 Dec.). Results showed that wheat sown in November 22 to December 20 was significantly better compared to November 08, 15 and December 27, from the studied aspects of yield and yield components. Considering overall sowing performance of all genotypes Shatabdi is the best, followed by BARI Gom-26 (2nd), Sourav (3rd), Prodip (4th), Bijoy (5th), Gourab (6th), Sufi (7th) and BARI Gom-25 (least). In extremely heat stress (November 08 and December 27) condition Prodip was found to be heat sensitive genotype (yield reduction 41.18 and 28.92%), followed by BARI Gom-26 (yield reduction 41.15 and 22.73%). Both in too early and very late heat stress conditions, genotypes Sourav and BARI Gom-25 were found to be heat tolerant. In very early (November 08), variety Sourav (yield reduction 20.47%) is recommended, followed by BARI Gom-25 (yield reduction 27.91%) and in very late (December 27), Sufi is the best (yield reduction 8.60%), followed by Bijoy (yield reduction 11.05%).

64-68

Authors: Fazle Azim, MM Rahman, Shamsul H Prodhan, Saif U Sikdar, Nayem Zobayer, M Ashrafuzzaman

The effects of different hormonal concentration on shoot formation and callus induction were studied on BARI Malta-1 (Citrus sinensis). Seeds containing seed coat and without seed coat was treated by Murashige and Skoog (MS) media supplemented with 6-benzyl adenine (BA) and Kinetin (KIN). Removal of seed coat showed an early response for shoot formation. The highest (70%) shoot formation was obtained from seeds without seed coat treated with MS basal media + BA 1.0 mg/l while KIN showed no response for shoot formation in any supplemented concentration. However, in case of callus induction internodes and apical shoot tips were used as explants and 2, 4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2, 4-D) was used as callus inducing hormone. MS basal media supplemented with 2, 4-D, 2.0 mg/l showed highest (68%) callus induction.